Alstom Renewable Technologies

Alstom Hydro France

Richard Allton

Philippe Gilson

A foundation structure for locating an object mounted on the foundation structure on a sea bed or a river bed comprises an integral buoyancy device having variable buoyancy and a rigid control surface. The integral buoyancy device is movable relative to the foundation structure to vary the position of the rigid control surface and to control the position of the center of buoyancy relative to the position of the center of gravity. This stabilizes the foundation structure during submergence and surfacing. A method for controlling the deployment and retrieval of the foundation structure is also described.

Foundation structure

A wet-mateable electrical connector comprises a vertically movable female connector unitlocatable over a vertically fixed male connector unit. The female connector unitdefines a chambercontaining a gas to exclude water and the like therefrom and having a closed upper end and an open lower end for receiving an upper end of the male connector unit. An insulating sheathis locatable within the upper end of the female connector unitto move it from a first position that protects a first electrical contactorprovided on the upper end of the male connector unitto a second position that exposes the first electrical contactor. The upper end of the female connector unithouses a second electrical contactorwhich is engageable with the first electrical contactorupon movement of the insulating sheathfrom the first position to the second position.

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Leicester, United Kingdom

Richard Allton